JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 9-year-old boy and 8-year-old girl were hit by a car Tuesday morning on the Westside while crossing the street on the way to their bus stop, according to Jacksonville police.
Both were taken to UF Health Jacksonville, the girl with life-threatening injuries. The boy is expected to be OK.
Police said the brother and sister, identified by a schoolmate's mother as Antuan and Amya, were leaving their house about 7:30 a.m. and tried to cross Seaboard Avenue at Penny Lane. Police said the siblings were crossing to the other side of the road where the sidewalk is and were hit.
"It's just that the kids did not look to the left before they stepped out in the roadway," said Sgt. Don Washington.
He said the woman who was driving was not distracted, and speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash. No charges were expected to be filed.
"She actually saw the kids before she got there, and right as she got there they stepped into the street," Washington said.
He said the children's mother was in the house with the other kids, and the siblings walk to their bus stop every day. People who live in the area said the siblings go to Timucuan Elementary, which is a mile and a half away from the bus stop.
"I just walked outside to take kids to the bus stop and I saw roads blocked off," said neighbor Creshuna Miles. "All I can do is pray for them and hope they're OK."
"I thought it was said," said Matthew Thompson, who goes to school with the siblings.
"Kids need to be aware of the surroundings and aware of the street and the street traffic," said News4Jax safety analyst Gil Smith. "To stay on the sidewalk, always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk in the direction that's facing traffic if you can and stay as far from the street as you can."
Smith said kids should cross at crosswalks, even if they have a longer route, and they shouldn't play at bus stops.
He said drivers should make eye contact with children if they look like they're about to cross.
And to see if a child is ready to go to the bus stop alone, follow him or her one day to see if they walk to the bus stop and take safety precautions.